A Second Chance
by avelius
Summary: Post R2. The world is finally at peace, as is Lelouch of the Rebellion... for now.
1. Chapter 1

Hello there. I've decided that I love Code Geass and LelouchxCC so much that I have to write about it. Note that this is my first (real) fic, and that while I'll try to update as much as possible, I'm at college now and updates, if there are any, will be on an erratic schedule. As always, review and tell me what you think – criticism welcomed, but don't flame me I suppose.

* * *

**A Second Chance**

The Zero Requiem was executed flawlessly. The hatred and fear that had been funneled onto the person of Lelouch vi Britannia in his life was transformed into joy and peace at his death. Lelouch had successfully destroyed the world to recreate it in his own plan, and the world was better off for it. However, few people knew of Lelouch's true intention to save the world, and saw him only as a monster. These people would forever mourn his death.

Nunnally was absolutely in a panic. Her brother was but an hour dead, and suddenly his body was gone, leaving a small trail of viscous black blood before it faded off of the pavement. "Zero! What happened to Lelouch?" she yelled at him. "Give my brother a proper burial!"

Nunnally somehow that Zero was really Suzaku. She wasn't quite sure why, but before her beloved brother died, when she placed her hand on his, she was granted with a vision. "My brother… and Suzaku and C. C… they planned his death. It's thanks to Lelouch that the world will be peaceful, but I will never forgive him for leaving me like this…" Nunnally whispered to herself tearfully.

Suzaku shrugged. "C.C. told me that she would take care of it. Think about it Nunnally, if we give him a proper burial, with a gravestone, it would honestly only be a matter of time until we started seeing grave-robbers mess with his body, and would probably serve to fuel the distrust of the people. It's better that nobody knows where he's buried."

"But… I want to be able to visit my brother…" Nunnally said in a small voice. She had never known so much pain as she was going through right now, having lost the only constant in her life, the rock that she could always depend upon. "Lelouch…"

"Don't worry, Nunnally; I'm sure that you and I will be able to visit him! It's just that right now we should wait for things to cool down before finding out where he's buried." Suzaku bent closer to her and whispered into her ear. "By the way, don't let it seem as though you know me. If they discover the link between Lelouch and I, we are royally screwed." Suzaku scratched his helmet in confusion. "Speaking of which, how do you know me?"

"It's complicated – I'll tell you later," said Nunnally. "I won't reveal you… however, you have to promise me to tell me as soon as C.C. tells you where brother is buried. I trust her, because I know she cared for Lelouch too."

Suzaku nodded. "No harm in that, Nunnally. We're all in this together now."

* * *

Sunlight filtered into a peaceful, leafy grove, giving the area an almost ethereal look. A mysterious girl, a girl with hair more vibrantly green than most of the plants nearby, pushed, almost stumbling, into the grove, carrying a burden that she knew only she could bear.

"Lelouch, you are such a pain even after you're dead!" she snapped at his body, sagging to the ground at last and dropping him unceremoniously against the lush grass. She fell silent, however, remembering his sacrifice for the sake of the world. "Now you'll never fulfill my wish…" she whispered.

C.C. honestly wasn't sure how she felt at the moment. Was she happy that Lelouch had found his peace in the end? She would never have wished her curse on anyone; she knew that given a few hundred years, she wouldn't even remember Lelouch's name. That didn't stop the pain that she felt right now, however.

"Why do I care, anyways? You were just my partner," C.C. continued to address the corpse. She started to undress him so that she could clean his body for his burial. Lelouch would be buried in his student's clothing: not for any special reason, but just because his Emperor's clothes were stained with his blood and Suzaku had his Zero outfit. C.C. worked methodically to clean his wounds, her hands gentle on his cold, dead skin.

"I'm not sure how long I can bear this," she told her unresponsive accomplice. "I think I'll take a break."

Lelouch had no objections to offer, so C.C. dressed him up and leaned on a tree nearby. She was soon fast asleep.

* * *

Lelouch awoke to pain. More pain than he had ever known in his entire life; more pain even than he had known when he died. The searing, white-hot agony prevented him from even wondering how he was alive. He could not scream or move, but could only lay there helplessly on the cool grass and shake and cry silently. After what seemed like years to Lelouch, the pain began to subside and Lelouch could think rationally.

_Why am I alive?_ he asked himself mentally. He could easily enough think of a few possibilities. Immediately after his supposed death, one of those loyal to him must have taken him and healed him: it couldn't have been an easy feat, considering Lelouch was quite near death. _No… there's no point denying it. I died, but I was supposed to stay that way._

Lelouch deduced that he must somehow have come in possession of a Code before his death. _C. C…? _ His thoughts were however interrupted when the pain chose that time to return in full force, tearing his mind into a red haze while his limbs started to twitch. He could almost feel the wounds from his death pulsating, pushing together, stopping the newfound flow of blood in his body, and finally he found the breath to scream.

* * *

C.C. was rudely awakened from her sleep by a bloodcurdling scream. She had had a pleasant dream, one in which Lelouch was alive; she didn't even remember that he was supposed to be dead.

"Lelouch! What's wrong, are you okay? Talk to me you idiot!" she yelled while shaking him. She pinned his arms and legs down with her body and looked into his eyes, which, while definitely alive, did not respond in any way to the sight of C.C.. Suddenly she remembered that Lelouch was dead, and scrambled off of him as quickly as she had pinned him.

"HOW ARE YOU ALIVE?" C.C. screamed at him, in a rare moment of panic. Lelouch did not respond – could not respond – could not even comprehend her words through the pain. He could feel his insides knitting themselves together somehow, so agonizingly slow – then it was done. Lelouch slumped back once more, perspiring everywhere and gasping for air before fainting dead away into a deep sleep. C.C. shuddered as she saw the sigil of Geass being branded onto his forehead. "Lelouch?" she asked hesitantly, touching his face." She threw herself on his chest and cried. Right now she didn't care about the damn curse of immortality. Lelouch was alive, and he would stay that way forever, with her.

* * *

A smell… A most delicious smell… Lelouch was so hungry when he awoke for the second time in his new life that he would have gladly eaten C.C. However, he could hardly move his body. He felt totally and utterly weak… as helpless as a newborn babe. The air around him seemed still and silent and Lelouch observed that it was about evening, much later than the time he would usually eat dinner with Sayoko and Nunnally. He felt a little chilly, but he was sure that the hot meal that C.C. seemed to have made would warm him right up.

"I see that you've awakened," C.C. stated, interrupting his thoughts. She could see Lelouch's deep purple eyes focusing in and out on her before fixing her with a glare. His head lolled to the side. She chuckled. "You're not quite ready to feed yourself, so I thought I would make you something. It's no pizza, but it will make you feel a little stronger. You've been through quite the ordeal, coming back to life."

Lelouch was so hungry he was hardly processing what C.C. was saying, unusual for one of his mental prowess. He pointedly shifted his glare from C.C. to the stew.

"Alright, alright… it's pretty much done. Can you move at all? Come here," C.C. commanded.

Lelouch's body twitched. C.C. sighed.

"Okay, you're in terrible shape. I'll feed you, you lazy pig." C.C. was delighted to see that her taunting was having some effect on the unfortunate Britannian, as he seemed to grow more annoyed with each of her statements. C.C. moved up to Lelouch and drew him up to lie on her lap. "No, this won't work." She put him through several other awkward positions before deciding to have an arm around his waist and him leaning on her shoulder. "There – perfect. Open wide."

Lelouch complied, although he was still giving C.C. a baleful look. As soon as the food entered his mouth, however, he was overcome by his hunger and soon forgot about his ire at C.C.'s poking fun at him.

After a few minutes of eating with C.C.'s help, he felt much better. "Delicious," he said weakly, the first word after his resurrection. "I owe you, witch."

"It was nothing. We are accomplices," C.C. waved away his thanks. "Are you ready to have a talk about all of this?"

Lelouch felt better, yes, but he still felt exhausted, even though he knew that he had just slept for a long time. "Not yet… I need more rest." Lelouch explained. He was already starting to fall asleep on C.C.'s shoulder.

"I will sleep too then. I assume you don't mind if I sleep next to you as it's getting slightly cold here for my tastes, but really you have no choice as you're too weak to fend me off, isn't that right? Goodnight Lelouch…" C. C. lay Lelouch down gently and then snuggled up to his side for warmth.

_What is this side of her? She seems so caring compared to the old C.C…. _Lelouch pondered. _She made me food and now is cuddling with me, of all things… is this even the same person I knew? _

C.C. shifted so that she was almost draped over him. "You're doing this on purpose to bother me," Lelouch accused her sleeping figure. C.C. seemed to mumble, but settled back down, her head on his chest. Lelouch, finding his right arm cramped, moved it under and around C.C., holding her to him, and fell asleep shortly after.

* * *

Lelouch woke up and felt quite refreshed, at least compared to his extreme weakness of yesterday. Unfortunately, he could still not move, as he didn't really want to wake C.C. just yet. _Speaking of which…. C.C. is not bad looking at all…._Lelouch thought cautiously as he glanced at her lithe form, apparently completely unaffected by all the pizza she ate. _I think perhaps that I would be perfectly content to lie here with C.C. forever, careless of the world…. Why should I worry? Haven't I sacrificed enough for everyone else's sake?_

Lelouch allowed his eyes to drink C.C. in. _My witch… she and I will become the only constants in this world, the only source of permanence. What will she choose? Will she be with me forever… or leave? _

C.C. looked down at him, having somehow woken up while Lelouch was preoccupied. "Like what you see?" she asked coyly.

"Don't get the wrong idea, witch," Lelouch said, but his words had no real bite. C.C. stared at him expressionlessly. "I'm hungry," she announced. "We are not so far from civilization, but obviously you cannot simply venture in – we'll need to give you some sort of disguise, to hide your… ah… distinctive looks."

"Distinctive looks? Is that a compliment?" Lelouch asked jokingly.

"Perhaps it is, what of it?" C.C. asked back, turning the tables on Lelouch. He suddenly realized how close they were, as he was still pinned down by C.C.. Blushing, he pushed her off and stood up quickly, turning away so she wouldn't see him. "ANYWAYS, we should concentrate on getting some more food-" Lelouch was interrupted as his legs quickly gave out on him and he toppled onto the ground face first. "I swear I'm never going to skip Gym class again..." he moaned, rolling over.

C.C. started to laugh. "For a man who ruled the world once, you sure are clumsy," she said. Lelouch groaned. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. Can we eat now?"

* * *

I guess that'll do for now. I'm always trying to improve my writing, and obviously I need motivation to continue this story, so feel free to drop me some reviews.


	2. Chapter 2

Hi there, it's me again. It seems that some of you enjoyed my first chapter, so I've decided to stick with it and write another. I have quite a bit of time on my hands that I proba1bly should spend studying instead, but since I like you guys so much, I'll spend it writing instead! Eh, who am I kidding? I write for myself. Also, sorry about the failed transitions in Chapter 1 – word made horizontal bars, but didn't pick them up and I had to put them in myself. If you read it before that, you might have been a bit confused, and that's probably why. Also, if you ever notice any errors, feel free to let me know. I write the majority of these at like 3:00 am. Well, without further ado… let's get this show on the road.

**A Second Chance: Chapter Two**

A drop of sweat, one of many, dripped off of a man's chin. 'She drives a hard bargain', he thought worriedly. He was one of the best real-estate agents around, and he had the fat to prove it. However he was considering just letting this client have hers for free if she would just leave – him – alone.

"You want a lower price? I don't think I can negotiate that far…" the agent said nervously.

The lady leaned in. "I need it for this price," she said. "You will give it to me at this price, or you and I are going to have a bit of a problem."

"Now, now, let's not be too hasty C.C.," said a man with light gray hair and deep purple eyes. "Excuse me sir…"

"Yes?" asked the agent eagerly, happy to deal with anyone but the domineering green-haired woman.

"Why don't you just give us the place for free?" Lelouch asked casually, Geass sigil flaring in both of his eyes. C.C. almost choked. "Lelouch! We need to talk. Now." Lelouch glanced over at her, annoyed that she had used his real name – however, the agent, under the influence of Geass, didn't seem to notice. Lelouch, however, saw C.C.'s expression and without further question wrapped up the talks.

"Of course," the agent sighed in relief, handing over the deed to the property. "Why didn't you just ask before?"

Lelouch was barely a foot outside when he grabbed C.C.'s shoulders, forcing her to look at him. "C.C.! What's wrong? Are you okay?" he almost yelled, remembering the expression of almost pure dread that she had given him during his meeting with the agent.

"We need to take this elsewhere. People will notice us," C.C. stated indifferently. Lelouch groaned. "We'll talk while we walk," he announced, grabbing her hand and almost dragging her off.

"Your Geass is still working. That is unusual for someone who possesses the Code," C.C. told him after they were sufficiently far from prying ears.

"Is it? I wouldn't know," responded Lelouch. "For that matter, how do I have a Code? When did it happen?"

"I am almost certain that you possess Charles' Code. Think about it – A code cannot disappear, because it is basically the essence of immortality; therefore, when a Code's host dies, it's only because the Code has been transferred into a new host."

"That makes no sense, though! We didn't kill him through physical means!" Lelouch grew agitated at the mention of the death of his father.

"Think about what the Code signifies. I never said it only applied to physical deaths; the Code applies to any form of death, even the way you made Charles disappear. Since you were the closest person who had no Code, perhaps that's why you gained the Code – I don't think that the Code's intelligent enough to logically discern who caused Charles' death; that would make the Code itself sentient."

"I guess you're right… but that doesn't explain why I still have my Geass." Lelouch said, turning back to look at C.C.. She flinched away, however. "Hey witch, what's wrong?"

"Lelouch… don't look at me like that anymore, without protection. Since you have the Code and the Geass, you are probably the most powerful being on the planet right now. I think maybe you could even command me… and I don't want to be another Euphemia…" C.C. trailed off, casting her eyes to the ground. She held his hand in apology. "Truly, it's nothing personal, Lelouch. I have the utmost respect for you and your abilities, that's all. I love fire, but I fear getting burned – you understand?"

Lelouch was horrified. "C.C., you know I would never do that to you," he protested. "You are my only witch, right? What would I do without you?"

"You wouldn't have to do it on purpose. Since you have no control over your Geass anymore…" C.C. said with a sad smile.

"Hmm… well, we'll see about that," Lelouch announced. C.C. turned to him, slightly surprised. "Don't be ridic-" her mouth suddenly formed a large O while the sigil of Geass faded from his eyes. "Feel safer now?" Lelouch grinned, knowing that he had bested C.C..

"You can control your Geass?" C.C. asked, shocked.

"It seems that ever since my death, I have been able to control my Geass perfectly – I can turn it on and off at will!" Lelouch stated with relief.

"That is amazing…" C.C. breathed. "My Black Prince Charming, more powerful now than Geass itself!" she cooed sarcastically, covering up her initial surprise.

"Quiet witch, after all, you are the one who was in fear seconds earlier that I would command you to do something ridiculous. Perhaps I still will," Lelouch mused.

"You can't do that," said C.C. with a pout. "I'm the only one who understands you, my warlock."

He looked her right in the eye. "I command you, C.C… to say my name once!" However, he didn't activate his Geass. "My apologies, I was just testing the fact that I can indeed turn it on and off at will."

"Couldn't you have tested it on someone else?" said C.C., slightly peeved. "Come to think of it, isn't that good immunity?"

"What do you mean?" asked Lelouch.

"Well, since you can only use your power once on each person, wouldn't it make sense to use it on them to do something small than to run the risk of something large?"

"That's a good point, but there might come a point in time that I need to use Geass on you."

"What?" C.C. cried, shedding her usual bored look. "Don't you trust me? How could you even think of using that power on me?"

"Relax, witch. Do you remember the second time that Mao came? The time when you finally killed him?"

"Yes… what of it?" C.C. wrinkled her brow in confusion, remembering the painful memory. C.C. had killed a man who, by his own admission, had loved her… although he did mean to cut her into luggage-sized pieces with a chainsaw. "Hey, you did most of the work. I just pulled the trigger."

"Whatever. Anyways, I Geassed myself so that I wouldn't remember the plan I had previously made, which trumped Mao's mind-reading ability and led to his undoing. So you see, one day I might need you to help me in a similar fashion."

C.C. calmed down slightly. "Ah. Although Mao now is dead… Well, when you put it like that it almost sounds downright reasonable."

"Quite. Well, shall we see this house that we… uh… bought?"

"Sure. Let's go." C.C. smiled, and raised Lelouch's hand. "Race you there."

* * *

C.C. was not quite sure when she had changed. She knew, though that she was now a totally different person than she had been before she had met Lelouch... Before him, she had just lived her years in endless torture. C.C. had been killed in almost every way possible: beheading, being burned at the stake (for being a witch, of course), drawing and quartering (during the time of Washington's rebellion) were just a few. However, she never minded death. She just wished it was permanent… or she did then. Then she had lied her lives without care, without real concern for the world around her.

But now, C.C. cared. She thought that maybe the world wasn't so worthless, and the one who had shown this to her was none other than Lelouch. He had shown her kindness in so many ways – he pretended to be cold, but his actions spoke louder than his words in that regard. Lelouch would never fail to help her… he even let her get all of the pizza she wanted off of his credit card, which was worth major points in C.C.'s book. When C.C. hid within herself and reverted to her slave-girl persona, Lelouch never took advantage of her, he just treated her with the same kindness and care as he always had.

'I will never be able to repay Lelouch for what he has given me,' C.C. realized. 'I now have a reason to live. Nunnally was once Lelouch's reason to live and to fight Britannia… and in that same fashion, I now have Lelouch. What a curious turn of events.'

"Penny for your thoughts?" Lelouch said. He rolled to face her on the grass, chin supported by his hand. Lelouch and C.C. were lying on the grass in front of their new, rather humble home. They had spent the day shopping for furniture and supplies for their home, and were exhausted by their busy day. Lelouch had suggested that they lie outside for a while, as the evening air was cool and soothing.

"Why do you want to know?" asked C.C., looking guardedly over at Lelouch.

"I mean… I don't know… we have all the time in the world, does it matter particularly?" Lelouch said, somewhat put off by her response.

"Yeah, I guess…" C.C. said, then fell silent. "Lelouch, it's odd to me that I am this old and know so much, yet I still know almost nothing about Geass and the Code. I thought that you were supposed to lose your Geass when you receive someone else's Code, and I thought that it was impossible to control the Geass after it has fully developed in both eyes… yet you seem to have both retained Geass and control it as well. You are somewhat of an anomaly to me."

Lelouch shrugged. "Perhaps I retain my Geass because it was given to me by a different person who gave me their Code. To be honest, both you and I are somewhat inexperienced about Code transfers, seeing as we've both only had it happen to us once."

CC. nodded. "That's true enough. Lelouch, I'm tired now… I'd like to sleep, I think."

"Of course – let's go inside," Lelouch suggested. "Our first night in our new home."

C.C. and Lelouch picked themselves up off of the grass and walked into their new house. It was nothing fancy, but was small and comfortable. There were only a few rooms: a kitchen, two bedrooms, a living room, and a bathroom. The house as of yet was sparsely furnished, with only the bare necessities being present in most rooms. C.C. and Lelouch had split up during the day to maximize their shopping efficiency and get other things.

"Which bedroom do you want?" Lelouch asked C.C., the rooms being inconveniently located on opposite ends of the living room.

"I'll take this one," C.C. said, waving her hand dismissively at the nearest. "Um… Lelouch, to be honest, I only bought one bed."

"What? I thought you said you were taking care of the beds, witch!" Lelouch exclaimed, annoyed that he'd have to sleep on the floor.

"We didn't have money! Anyways, you're used to sleeping on the floor." C.C. said defensively. Lelouch eyed her dangerously.

"No. I'm taking the bed tonight. We can switch off every night."

"As if. This one is my room anyways, remember? We'll get another room soon. You can sleep with me tonight if you want."

"No, I'm definitely sl – wait, did you say I could sleep with you?" Lelouch eyed her curiously.

"Don't get your hopes up yet, my warlock. No sex."

"THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT!" Lelouch yelled, exasperated.

C.C. laughed. "You are so fun to tease," she said with a smile. "I'm going to sleep now. Come to bed soon, okay?" she said, and with that she disappeared into the room.

Lelouch shook his head in amusement. 'Okay, you won that one, my witch. I feel a little dirty after lying in that grass – I should shower before I go sleep…' he thought to himself. Pausing to grab some spare clothes and a towel, he entered the bathroom and turned the water on.

'I wonder what's with C.C. nowadays…?' he wondered. 'I remember the first time I met her… she seemed to me to be just some coldhearted woman, and I felt like I'd never have cared to know her… But then, gradually, she changed. She's more than an accomplice to me, I think…. What are we then? Friends? Is it because she trusts me now?'

Lost in thought, Lelouch was now under the soothing hot water shower. 'She must trust me, because if she doesn't we aren't going to have much fun in this eternity. I think that C.C. feels good about having a companion to spend the time with… hasn't she been alone for hundreds of years? Perhaps this is what led to her decision to let me sleep with her tonight… perhaps she feels that loneliness all the time, and I've just been too dense to notice.' He turned off the shower, dried off, and dressed back up, still thinking. 'I wonder how she could stand it… it must have been pretty depressing dying so many times, having no friends, for so long. Making Geass contracts, like Mao, must have been her only relief… her only hope, that one day, one would free her from her burden.'

Lelouch stepped lightly through the rooms and to the bed, trying not to wake C.C.. One fact that Lelouch had never been able to deny was that C.C. was a rare beauty…. He had never seen anyone else who even compared. C.C. was unique, both in her personality and in her looks, from her long, emerald hair to her mysterious golden eyes.

'She looks so peaceful lying there…' Lelouch thought, gently lying down on the opposite side of the bed as her. He was quite tired, but he lay there for a time, admiring his eternal partner's sleeping form. C.C.'s slender form belied the amount that she could eat, but Lelouch supposed that it could be a side effect of the immortality – no physical changes, perhaps. Not that he minded – he was perfectly content with C.C.'s current form, not that he'd ever tell her that.

"You smell good,' said C.C., startling Lelouch out of his reverie. Her voice sounded odd to him – strained, perhaps, a hint of something that he didn't see in C.C. very often.

"Thanks… I showered," said Lelouch nervously, worried about C.C.'s strange behavior. "I'm sorry to wake you up – I tried to be quiet…" he attempted to explain himself.

C.C. laughed softly. "It's not your fault. I have a trouble sleep sometimes… perhaps as a result of having lived through so many traumatic things. The memories of happiness are so few among the many of sadness…"

Lelouch looked up at this, surprised to find himself feeling almost pitiful for C.C.. What he saw shook him to his very core – C.C., the emotionless, invincible witch, was crying. Her frame shook softly and she wasn't loud, but Lelouch could see her tears shining in the moonlight. He shifted over to her side in the bed and held her tight. "Listen C.C… I know you've been through a lot, and you must have terrible memories. But I swear to you… you are going to be happy now. You and I will make new memories together, okay? That is my new contract to you. So please don't cry… that expression doesn't fit you, my witch."

"I accept your contract…" C.C. said, sniffling. She then just cried harder, into his shoulder. Lelouch sighed and let her do as she wished. Awkwardly he stroked her hair and rubbed her back, hoping that his touch would bring her some comfort. Eventually, she started to stop, and at last fell asleep on him without another word. Lelouch sighed again. 'I'll never understand women… or at least this one. Her dreams ever night must be terrible…. Why didn't she tell me before? Perhaps she didn't want to burden my mind while I still had a world to save…' Lelouch pondered. He looked down at C.C. and smiled, as he wore a look of contentment in her sleep. He hoped that he was helping her forget her sadness. 'All I want is for her to be happy… she is all I have now. Without C.C., I have absolutely nothing.' He tucked some of her soft hair behind her ears. 'C.C… no matter what, I'll always be there to help you now. You're not alone… and I think you know that now.'

Lelouch shifted so that he wouldn't lose circulation in his arm under C.C., then fell asleep with her as well. His dreams were of a certain green-haired witch, and were filled with more peace and contentment than any he had ever known.

* * *

I'm not really sure what I'm going for now… fluff perhaps? I will probably introduce some real plot later. Or maybe not. Who knows? Review, you ungrateful cretins. (Haha, just kidding. Love you all ^_^)


	3. Chapter 3

Hi again, all. I'm glad you like the story so far. Linear algebra is quite a boring class, so I have decided that there is no better time to start on my third chapter for A Second Chance, as it's impossible for me to respond to unlinked reviewers on , I suppose that I will include a section here for responding to those reviewers.

**Airking:** muahahaha. Perhaps you'll like what I've got in store then c: (note: I don't plan these chapters out at all, which is dumb, I know, but whatever)

**LunAttik:** More fluff. Got it.

Related: I apologize for taking so long between updates, but between Starcraft, Minecraft, and Halo it's a wonder that these get out at all. Oh yeah, and college. Right. I study, I promise! ...

**Chapter 3**

C.C. flipped her hair over her shoulder as she picked up fruits and vegetables to take home from the local market. She was rather bored and hungry, and was eager to return home. She picked up her last fruit and put it in her basket.

"C.C., is it really you?"

C.C. thought she recognized the voice, but she couldn't be sure – she whipped around, almost dropping her basket in the process. Her worst fears were confirmed – a redhead in student's clothes was addressing her. "Kallen…?" she asked, shocked. "Why… what are you doing here?" _She must know… I have to warn Lelouch!_

Kallen laughed lightly. "My history class is in this town for a field trip. Apparently there was a battle here at some point, and anyways, I skipped out on them pretty early. Museums and stuff like that bore me."

"Is that so?" C.C. said. Her thoughts were racing. _Maybe Kallen doesn't know that Lelouch is alive… but in that case, Lelouch will get here any minute with the meat and bread! I have to make sure she doesn't see him somehow._

"Why are you here, C.C.? What have you been doing since Lelouch died?" Kallen wondered.

"Ummm… well, as you can see, I have taken sort of a normal life upon myself. I am buying groceries for my home right now." _It is easiest not to lie, I think._

"Oh! That's nice. So I guess you didn't really feel like working for Britannia or something after… Lelouch?" asked Kallen of C.C.

"Yes, it was something like that. It was a terrible blow to me when Lelouch was assassinated." _Also true. _

"C.C… why were you still with Lelouch when he turned evil? Did he force you to stay?"

C.C. sighed. "Kallen, we need to talk. Let's go somewhere secluded." C.C. and Kallen ended up on a park bench, after taking a leisurely stroll for a while. _Perfect, now Kallen won't see Lelouch. I'll have to explain to him later why I bailed out on him, but I know he'll understand… this is pretty important._

"Kallen, why did you and the Black Knights betray Lelouch? He created you, if you forgot." C.C. inquired.

Kallen was annoyed. "C.C., you know why – he had become the incarnation of what we were fighting against! He was trying to be the Emperor of Britannia, for God's sake. Lelouch had simply changed too much… I used to think… I don't know. I think maybe I loved Lelouch before he changed… I guess that's why it hurts me so much that he's gone." Kallen suddenly thought that maybe she had said too much, upon seeing C.C.'s look of surprise.

"If you loved him, why would you betray him? Perhaps he had his reasons," C.C. wondered. _Perhaps Kallen and I have more in common than I first thought._

"I don't think that's likely… it was probably more of a passing infatuation. Anyways, it seemed to me like Lelouch was always rather self-centered and greedy for power."

C.C. shook her head. "That's not the only side of Lelouch that you saw, Kallen; don't you remember when he was Zero? He led and created the Black Knights with the sole purpose of overthrowing the Britannian government." _How much can I tell her? _"Actually… Lelouch's plan involved being betrayed by your Black Knights. He manipulated you people and you fell for it, hook, line, and sinker."

Kallen's eyes widened. "What are you talking about?" she almost yelled, grabbing her shoulders. "Are you saying that he set himself up on purpose?"

"Calm down, Kallen," instructed C.C.. "I am going to tell you a secret that only three people in this world know. I believe that you are one of the few people that Lelouch owed an explanation for what happened, because I think you are one of the only people who were truly loyal to him. Now I know why. Listen to me."

Surprisingly, Kallen nodded. "Tell me everything," she said.

C.C. almost laughed, but kept on her grave face. _As if._ "Do you know why Lelouch changed?" C.C. asked her.

"Don't change the subject…" Kallen growled.

"This is central to the subject. It will help you understand."

"Hmph." Kallen shook her head. "I never thought he would do something like that. Zero just… he seemed like a good person to me, even when I didn't know when he was. And when I found out that he was Lelouch, well, I thought he had his reasons. But then he went insane! He took control… and I guess everything went downhill from there…" Kallen trailed off.

"All of this, all of the hatred you and everyone in the world felt for Lelouch, this was all part of his plan. He called it the Zero Requiem. For his sins, he decided that the only way to end the cycle of hatred in the world was to sacrifice himself. He made the world hate him, then he killed himself on the blade of justice. It was quite poetic, really. Noble, even." Kallen could almost feel C.C.'s distaste for his decision.

"What… what are you saying…" Kallen whispered. "You're telling me… he did all that… to save the world? He died for us…"

"That's right," C.C. nodded. "He planned to save the world by becoming the most hated man to ever go down in history… Lelouch vi Britannia, the Demon King."

"I… can't believe it.. I won't believe it. Lelouch was a Britannian Prince, and later an Emperor. He had everything that he could want. He would never commit such an act of selflessness."

C.C.'s eyes narrowed, and she shrugged. "You don't have to believe it, I don't really care. It just seems to me that you are holding him responsible for perhaps manipulating your feelings, or you think that if you can convince yourself that Lelouch was evil, maybe it follows that you aren't at fault for betraying him. You're not, though, in any case. I told you that was part of his plan, so stop looking so conflicted." She stood up. "Anyways, I have to go now. It was nice talking to you. Think about what I said."

"What? Wait! C.C…" Kallen groaned. C.C. had disappeared completely. "She's so annoying. Telling me that Lelouch planned his own death? Yeah right… like he'd ever do anything like that when he could just stage it instead. But that isn't possible, I saw him with a freaking bloody sword coming out of his back... Right?"

And with that, the gears started to turn in Kallen's mind.

* * *

C.C. slumped against the door to her home, feeling exhausted after her tiring experience with Kallen. _I'm not even sure what I got so mad about…. Why should I care what people think about Lelouch? It was his choice to make everyone in the world pretty much despise him. I just wish he'd thought of a different way…._ Although C.C. disapproved, she couldn't deny the elegance and simplicity of the Zero Requiem. _But that doesn't matter now; that's all in the past. Anyways, Lelouch said to me now that he'd always be there for me, and I have no reason to distrust him. _C.C. took a deep breath and opened the door.

Lelouch was sitting on the couch when he heard C.C. come in, and he got up quickly, forcing himself not to run at her and grab her. "Where were you? I was afraid you got kidnapped or something! You said that we would meet in the marketplace, right….?" Lelouch's voice trailed off.

C.C. sniffed. "Do you care or something?" Lelouch said nothing, but his eyes narrowed slightly. "If you must know, I got out of there to distract Kallen, who somehow fortuitously ended up there with a school field trip."

"Kallen…? no way…" Lelouch said. "You didn't tell her I'm alive, did you?"

C.C. sighed. "Of course not, you idiot." She snapped. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm feeling quite drained from my conversation with her. I think I'll take a nap now."

Lelouch nodded, taken aback by her quick change of subject. "O-okay…." He said. "Have a nice rest…" he winced as she closed the door behind her. _Is she mad at me or something? How was I supposed to know she was with Kallen? I hope she didn't tell her anything…_

Lelouch grinned, a plan suddenly forming in his mind. _Even if she's mad, I know one way that will never fail to get her back into a good mood._

C.C. awoke at the first hint of one of the most delicious aromas she had ever smelled wafting into her nose. _Can it be?_ She wondered. _This smell… it is so divine, so amazing… it must be… PIZZA._

Lelouch was humming something as he cooked when C.C. flew into the kitchen, nearly destroying the door in the process.

"What the hell? Why are you awake?" Lelouch almost yelled, surprised by C.C.'s break-in.

"I smelled pizza. You are making pizza? I like pizza. You are going to give me the pizza when you are done."

Lelouch sighed. "I know, I am making the pizza for you. I felt bad for yelling at you before when you came back late.

C.C. waved her hand. "That was nothing, I was just really tired, I wasn't mad at you. Anyways, it was sorta cute, the way you were all worried about me. And now that you've made me pizza, I am quite content."

Lelouch bumped his head on the cupboard above the counter, cursed flavorfully, and turned to glare at his merry witch. "I wasn't worried about you, I was just hungry. You were taking too long to bring all the food back from the marketplace, so I couldn't make anything."

"Whatever, loverboy. Just go back to making me pizza."

C.C. watched happily as Lelouch moved busily around the kitchen; although he wouldn't have seemed so, Lelouch was quite the good cook. He moved quickly and accurately, whipping up another pizza to throw in the oven, and then made himself some salad, all the while throwing baleful glares over his shoulder and muttering under his breath.

"They're done," he announced, presenting the pizza. "Extra cheese, too. I'll be eating my salad." He said gruffly.

C.C. almost cried in the joy of seeing all of the wonderful pizza laid out before her, all for her consumption.

"THANK YOU SO MUCH LELOUCH!" she yelled, and jumped on him, nearly crushing him with a hug.

"Mmmph!" Lelouch grunted in protest. Eventually, he was able to push her off. "You're welcome," he said. "Now eat your pizza."

C.C. began to eat her pizza with terrifying gusto, and Lelouch found that he was starting to lose his appetite.

* * *

Blah blah. Kallen introduced, obligatory C.C.'s Pizza scene. Get it? CC's Pizza? Ah, screw it.

Love you guys, review more ^_^


	4. Chapter 4

Greetings there, my faithful readers! I know it's been a while, but… well…. Uh… Okay, I have no excuse. What I do have is a shiny new chapter of A Second Chance all dressed up and ready for your consumption like a turkey at Thanksgiving dinner! Sorry, tat analogy was probably a bit too strange. Also, I'm awake at 8:30 AM having not slept at all last night, and I'm writing this chapter in between watching games of the GSL 2, a Starcraft 2 tournament in Korea.

**AirKing:** I guess it's a good thing I read this review after I wrote the chapter, as I try not to let reviews influence the story – but, as it happens, you were basically right on the money! Maybe you should just take over instead, haha.

Anyways, without further ado…

**Chapter 4**

"C.C., wake up, silly witch.' Lelouch poked at C.C. Her face was sweaty and she was moaning in her sleep, so Lelouch could only assume that she was having a nightmare. Lelouch sighed. "Come on C.C., you don't have to deal with that." He shook her a bit. "Should I slap her?" He wondered aloud. "Wake up C.C.! Jeez, you woke me up with your moaning and crying, so now I have to get you up at least. Oh wait, I know. C.C.! Pizza!"

C.C. woke up abruptly, not sure why. She had just been having the most horrible dream. "Lelouch, you're alive!" C.C. exclaimed, seeing her accomplice in the bed next to her.

"Are you okay?" asked Lelouch, concerned. He ignored her previous comment. _She must have had a bad dream in which I was dead… but then what does that mean? Does she care about me? _He wrapped his arms around C.C. and let her head rest on his shoulder.

"Yes… I just had a bad dream," C.C. said, her voice muffled by his shoulder. "Thank you for waking me up…" Gradually, Lelouch felt her body stop trembling, and looked down, and saw her sleeping peacefully.

"C.C… trust me. As long as you'll have me by your side, I'll always be here for you, my witch. So don't be sad. Even if you have a nightmare, you can rest assured that you'll wake up in my arms…" Lelouch whispered. He wasn't quite ready to go back to sleep yet, and instead lay idly, enjoying the feeling of running his hand through her hair and rubbing her back.

_What does C.C. mean to me? _Lelouch wondered. _I've never done anything like this with anyone else… and yet with this girl, it feels so… natural. Now that I think about it, it's so wrong – isn't C.C. hundreds of years my senior? And yet… she still has the personality and body of a girl, so I guess it doesn't matter. _

"That's very sweet of you, Lelouch," C.C. murmured. He choked, not having realized she was awake. "What the heck C.C.? Why don't you give me some sort of warning before you trick nice statements out of me?"

"How else am I supposed to get you to say anything civil?" C.C. laughed, a twinkle in her eye. "For that, you get a gift…" she kissed him lightly on the cheek, blushing. "Now try to go to sleep, warlock. I don't want you moping around exhausted tomorrow, you hear?" C.C. lay back quietly,

_How the hell am I supposed to sleep after that?_ Wondered Lelouch. He tried, and failed, to stop himself from smiling, but try as he might to dwell on the events of the night, and C.C.'s kiss, the events of the previous day caught up to him, and he finally fell back asleep.

* * *

This time, it was C.C. who woke first in their shared bed. Sunlight streamed in through their large windows – C.C. and Lelouch had still neglected to furnish most of their new house, although they had bought some of the basics. She smiled tenderly, remembering her last night with Lelouch. _Always here for me, eh? I think I could get used to that. _Her smile widened. _I haven't felt like this… well, ever, I guess. Surely not for thousands of years. Almost, I feel like an idiot, with all of my logic being thrown out by emotion… but for him… Perhaps he's worth it. Only time will tell… and we have all the time in the world._

_But for now, I wouldn't mind snuggling up closer to him. _

She lay awake for a while, basking in the warmth of the sun and Lelouch's body heat. _I almost feel like a cat… so lazy, _she thought. _I should wake Lelouch now, he's being even lazier than I am. But how?_ Lelouch had not responded to her gentle shakes when she tried to wake him the first time. But suddenly, C.C. was struck by an appealing, and totally evil idea.

Lightly, she stole a kiss from Lelouch, after having taken a deep breath. Then with her other hand she pinched his nose shut and didn't remove her lips from his mouth. _Let's see him sleep through this! _ Lelouch started to cough almost immediately and his eyes flew open, filled with panic and surprise. After a brief struggle, he was able to push C.C. off of him.

"WHAT WAS THAT FOR?" Lelouch yelled.

C.C. just could not stop laughing. "I-I needed to w-wake you up," she explained, choking with laughter. "And I thought maybe you deserved another kiss for being so nice last night."

"Arrrgh, C.C., can't you just kiss me when I'm freaking awake?" Lelouch groaned, eyelids still heavy with sleep. "I mean… uh…"

C.C.'s grin widened. "Are you saying that you would like me to kiss you when you're awake?"

Lelouch shook his head frantically. "No, I, uh… you… uh… I misspoke."

C.C. pouted. "Oh… so… you don't really like my kisses then?" she sighed.

"No! Ahh… I do… I mean… Can we stop this line of questioning? I think that my mind may combust." Lelouch said, looking about ready to explode.

C.C. laughed lightly. "Of course… but don't think that you can escape me forever, my warlock. Let's go eat breakfast."

Lelouch readily complied, relieved to have escaped C.C.'s interrogation.

* * *

"You _saw_ C.C.?" exclaimed Nunnally, almost ready to explode at her somewhat-friend, Kallen. "What the hell did she do with Lelouch?"

"What do you mean? Isn't Lelouch buried in the Imperial graveyard? Or something?"

Nunnally shook her head slowly. "No… C.C. said that she'd take care of Lelouch's body, and protect it from grave robbers and such that would have followed immediately if we buried him here…" she explained. "So… did she say anything about Lelouch? Where did you see her?"

Kallen started to think again. _What if Lelouch is alive…? _She wondered. _I can't get my hopes up… Anyways, what am I saying? Lelouch betrayed me and the Black Knights… he betrayed the world._ Bit Kallen couldn't stop that little voice in her head that wondered if perhaps that Lelouch had been the one betrayed, and not the traitor.

"Hello? Earth to Kallen? What did C.C. say about Lelouch?" Nunnally demanded to know.

Kallen sighed. _What should I tell her?_ "Nothing," she lied, figuring that she didn't know or trust Nunnally well enough to judge her reaction to C.C.'s claims. "She didn't say anything about his body, either. I don't know exactly where she lives, but I know the town now, so I might be able to find her. Do you want me to try?"

"Yes… Kallen, please try to find out what C.C. did with my brother's body… I know that he's dead, but I just want to know that he has been respectably buried and given his proper burial rites so that I can meet him on the other side. I trust C.C., but I also want to know where to go to visit my brother's grave, you understand, right?" asked Nunnally.

"I know what Lelouch meant to you. I'll go look for C.C., and be sure to tell to make her tell me what happened to Lelouch after he died. Okay?" asked Kallen.

"Thank you so much! Oh, and Kallen…"

"Yes? What is it?" inquired Kallen impatiently.

"Don't worry about school – I'm the Empress, I'll just make a call or two and you'll be fine for… say… a week?"

"Yes!" Kallen pumped her fist into the air. "No school! I'll be looking for her now, see you later Nunnally!"

After she left, Nunnally sighed. "Suzaku, you don't have to eavesdrop like that. We are friends, and you're friends with Kallen, right?"

Suzaku shook his head in his Zero helmet, emerging from behind one of the curtains. How he had managed to hide there without Kallen noticing, Nunnally didn't know – she had always assumed that Kallen was one of the sharper people in Ashford Academy, and given her recently-revealed status as an ace pilot, she would have thought that she would have had some detection skills as well. _Ah well, guess she's no Sayoko. _

"I can't go back to school now obviously, and also, Kallen and I weren't on the best terms when I fought her to protect Lelouch's plan," Suzaku explained. "She probably hates me a lot right now… not that I blame her. It's part of the penance I'm paying for the Zero Requiem too…" he trailed off, remembering Lelouch's last words.

"Nonsense. I think Kallen would forgive you if she knew… and I know Lelouch doesn't want everyone to hate you. I think that one day, you will be able to reveal yourself to the world again." Nunnally said.

"Nunnally… thank you, it means a lot to me. You've given me more hope for the future," said Suzaku.

"It was nothing. Now, let's talk about other, more mundane matters…" said Nunnally, gesturing towards a stack of papers on her desk. "Kallen will take care of herself."

* * *

_What if Lelouch… was alive? _wondered Kallen. _What if he played some colossal joke on the world? Used us all as his pawns, laughing the whole way? Even when he's gone, he gets the last laugh! _Kallen forced herself to calm down. _It's unlikely that Lelouch is alive… and yet, I have to find C.C. and ask her, just to fulfill my curiosity. If she says no, I won't think anything else of it. I'll go back and live a normal life. Oh, and she has to show me the body so that I can give its location to Nunnally, I guess. _

Kallen came to a stop in front of the town that C.C. had chosen to make her home in. _What was this place called again? I guess it doesn't really matter…_

Kallen stopped in front of the post office. _I guess I might as well start my search here, and then I will go look for her where I met her last, at the market. There should be a high chance that she'll need to go back for groceries at some point, right? If I just can't seem to find her, I'll hang out around the marketplace every day until she comes around. Wait… I have an idea! There is absolutely no way that C.C. will go long without pizza. When we were all at HQ together, she ordered pizza literally every day… to the point that I wondered if our funding was going more into pizza or into weaponry. _

Kallen glanced around the bustling town. _All I need to do is find the best pizza place and hang around there for a while, and I'll be sure to get C.C.. As long as she doesn't get delivery, I guess. _

Having completed her planning, Kallen hurried to finish her job.

* * *

Lelouch and C.C. were eating breakfast in a comfortable silence, each hungry enough to just eat rather than talk. After a while, C.C. found that she had to say something. "Lelouch."

"Yes?" he asked, suddenly wary of whatever his green-haired with might have in mind.

"Thank you for the omelet. The food you cook is delicious," she said, without a hint of teasing to her voice.

"Y-you think so?" said Lelouch. "You liked it?"

"It's quite good, and I'm surprised you knew I'd like an extra cheesy omelet," said C.C.

"Well, I figured I'd make it as close to pizza as possible, and you'd like it," Lelouch laughed, scratching at the back of his head. "I'm glad I guessed right."

"As am I. Anyways, what would you like to do today?" asked C.C. of her immortal partner.

"I don't know, I don't really care. I'm bored, I guess we can go out. Oh, let me wash the dishes first though I guess."

"Good idea, I'll help." C.C. got up to help Lelouch wash the dishes, bringing hers to the sink. "This won't take long; there are two of us and not that many dishes."

C.C. went to put the dishes in the dishwasher, but suddenly slipped and fell, due to the slick floor. "Ouch!" she hissed with pain.

"C.C.! Are you alright?" Lelouch said, rushing over to help her, nearly slipping himself.

"I'm fine, fool," she snapped at him, annoyed at her own blunder. "Help me up."

"Uhh… okay." Lelouch offered his hand to her, which she took and attempted to rise. However, she sat back down again quickly with a hiss of pain. Lelouch looked at her questioningly.

"Well, I feel foolish now. I believe that I've twisted my ankle." C.C. stated emotionlessly.

Lelouch looked, and sure enough, there was an angry red swelling there, growing rapidly. "Ah, you silly witch," he said to himself softly. Slowly, carefully, he picked her up bridal-style, making sure not to hurt her injured ankle any more than I already was.

C.C. didn't even say anything in response to his comment, she was so surprised. _I don't think anyone has ever done this for me before…_ she thought, her head against his chest. _Lelouch is being surprisingly… caring, recently. He's almost a different person. _

Lelouch gently set her down on their bed, taking care still not to hurt her ankle further. "How are you feeling?" he asked her.

"I'm immortal fool, this means nothing to me," she snapped at him, and immediately regretted it. _He was so kind to me and I repay him with that? No wonder he hates me most of the time._

Lelouch drew back, uncertain. "Hmph. You'll be fine, witch. I'm going to go out."

"Wait!" C.C. cried, annoyed at herself even more now. "You can't just leave a girl alone here, right? I'm crippled! I could get raped or something, you know."

"Ugh, can't you make up your mind?" Lelouch asked. "What do you need me for? You're immortal, remember?"

"Maybe I just like your company, Lelouch," C.C. purred. "After all, you were all the rage among Ashford Academy's female populace, if I recall correctly."

Lelouch turned bright red and chose to carefully ignore that statement. "Witch…" he said in a warning tone. Well, perhaps he did not ignore it totally.

"Ah, you're no fun," C.C. said, flopping back on the bed, wincing in pain.

Lelouch also sat on the bed. "I guess I could use a nap, what about you?"

"Come closer. I don't have a Cheese-kun plushy so I guess you'll have to do for now."

Lelouch sighed melodramatically and allowed the witch to slip an arm under his neck. _Just what the hell am I to her? What does she take me for, some sort of pillow? A cook? _

"Lelouch?" asked C.C. softly.

"Yes? What is it?"

"Thank you for helping me. I'm sorry… I snapped at you," she said, her tongue tripping the unfamiliar words. "Please don't be mad at me."

Lelouch's expression softened. "You're…. apologizing? Come now…. You're my witch. What kind of warlock would I be if I didn't keep you well fed and in good health?" Lelouch smiled, feeling more at ease. "I'm assuming by the time we finish our nap your ankle will be fully healed?"

"Yes, it should finish quite soon, but for now it still hurts a bit," C.C. said.

"Do you want ice or something? Even though it'll heal soon, it'll lower your level of discomfort…"

C.C. looked at him wonderingly. "Lelouch… I've been murdered so many times in cold blood, and you want to get my ice for my ankle because it might hurt too much?"

"Ah… sorry… I think?"

"No, I wasn't complaining… actually, Lelouch, I find that rather endearing. I don't think anyone has ever cared for my happiness… well, not without my Geass on them, anyways."

"I see… well… thanks, I guess. I'm bored now, I think I'm going to get some sleep," Lelouch said to C.C..

"Lelouch… can you rub my back like you did last night?" C.C. asked him. "It felt nice."

"Well, I guess if you'd like,' said Lelouch casually, but his blush gave him away. He rubbed her back in small circles, making sure to knead the muscles and help her relax. Eventually, he was rewarded by her eyes drooping shut and the sound of her slow, rhythmic breathing indicating that she was fast asleep.

Lelouch quickly followed suit, falling asleep within minutes of C.C.

* * *

Alright, I'm done now. I really have to sleep, so sorry if the ending is a little abrupt. Time to upload!


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